High pressure spray injector

Abstract

A high pressure spray injector having an injector body with an interior cavity and a pedestal located within this cavity, the pedestal having an interior cavity and firmly attached to the bottom of the injector body. Coaxial with the injector body and the pedestal is an annular piston having an end cap and an interior cavity within. The annular piston is in sliding contact with the injector body and the pedestal. A stationary piston is coaxially located within the annular piston and also has an interior cavity. At the end of the stationary piston is a nozzle with an orifice. The annular pistion is also in sliding contact with the stationary piston. A pintle rod is located within the stationary piston to open and close the orifice in the nozzle. As the annular piston is caused to move upward, a fluid is injected in the top part of the annular piston and the interior of the stationary piston. When the annular piston moves downward, the pintle rod moves downward allowing the entrapped fluid to spray through the nozzle. A device for the visualization of the liquid spray during combustion at high pressures is also disclosed.

I claim: 
     
       1. A high pressure spray injector comprising: a first, second, and third body means in coaxial alignment, said third body means having a nozzle;   means defining a first interior cavity between said first and said second body means for receiving a pressurized gas;   means defining a second and third interior cavity between said second and said third body means;   means defining a fourth interior cavity within said third body means;   inlet port means communicating with said first interior cavity;   at least one passage between said third and said fourth interior cavity;   inlet port means for injecting a fluid communicating with said third interior cavity;   means for opening and closing said nozzle in said third body means;   means for discharging said fluid through said nozzle.   
     
     
       2. A high pressure spray injector comprising: an injector body having a top end, a bottom end, and an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein;   a pedestal centrally disposed within said interior cavity of said injector body, said pedestal having an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, said pedestal fixedly attached at the bottom end of said injector body;   an annular piston having a top end, a bottom end, and an end cap having a cylindrical bore fixedly attached at the top end, said piston centrally disposed within said interior cylindrical cavity of said injector body, said annular piston having an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, the exterior wall of said piston in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said injector body, said piston also in sliding contact at the bottom end with the exterior wall of said pedestal;   a stationary piston having a top end and a bottom end, said stationary piston fixedly attached at said bottom end to said pedestal and centrally disposed within said annular piston, said stationary piston having an interior cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, a nozzle having an orifice removably attached at the top end, at least one passage between said interior cavity and the exterior wall of said stationary piston, the exterior wall of said stationary piston in sliding contact with the bore of said end cap of said annular piston, and the bottom end of said stationary piston in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said annular piston, said bottom end of said piston having a bore centrally disposed therein;   a pintle rod centrally disposed within said interior cavity of said stationary piston, said pintle rod extending downward through said bore disposed in said bottom end of said stationary piston into said interior cavity of said pedestal, said pintle rod having a tapering end in mating contact with said orifice of said nozzle and a cylindrical end in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said pedestal;   means for causing said annular piston to extend upward towards said top end of said injector body such that the end cap of said annular piston is flush with said nozzle;   means for injecting a fluid into the cavity defined by the boundaries of the exterior wall of said stationary piston, the interior cavity wall of said annular piston, the bottom end of said stationary piston and the end cap of said annular piston;   means for extending said tapering end of said pintle rod away from mating contact with said orifice;   means for determining the downward pressure exerted by said pintle rod;   means for causing said annular piston to extend downward toward said bottom end of said injector body thereby forcing said fluid to spray through said orifice of said nozzle.   
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for causing said annular piston to extend upward toward said top end of said injector body such that the end cap of said annular piston is flush with said nozzle comprises a passage having a quick opening valve extending through the side wall of said injector body and opening at a point below the bottom end of said annular piston for the introduction of a pressurized gas through said passage. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for causing said annular piston to extend downward toward said bottom end of said injector body thereby forcing said fluid to spray through said orifice of said nozzle comprises a passage having a quick opening valve extending through the side wall of said injector body and opening at a point below the bottom end of said annular piston for the release of a pressurized gas through said passage. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for extending said tapering end of said pintle rod away from mating contact with said orifice comprises a spring disposed within said cavity disposed within said pedestal and located above said cylindrical end of said pintle rod. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for injecting a fluid into the cavity defined by the boundaries of the exterior wall of said stationary piston, the interior cavity wall of said annular piston, the bottom end of said stationary piston and the end cap of said annular piston comprises a passage extending through said pedestal and said flange at the bottom of said stationary piston. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for determining the pressure exerted by said pintle rod comprises a pressure transducer disposed within said flanged base of said pedestal. 
     
     
       8. A device for visualization of liquid propellant spray combustion at high pressures comprising: an injector body having a top end, a bottom end, and an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein;   a pedestal centrally disposed within said interior cavity of said injector body, said pedestal having an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, said pedestal fixedly attached at the bottom end of said injector body;   an annular piston having a top end, a bottom end, and an end cap having a cylindrical bore fixedly attached at the top end, said piston centrally disposed within said interior cylindrical cavity of said injector body, said annular piston having an interior cylindrical cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, the exterior wall of said piston in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said injector body, said piston also in sliding contact at the bottom end with the exterior wall of said pedestal;   a stationary piston having a top end and a bottom end, said stationary piston fixedly attached at said bottom end to said pedestal and centrally disposed within said annular piston, said stationary piston having an interior cavity centrally disposed therein in coaxial alignment with said injector body, a nozzle having an orifice removably attached at the top end, at least one passage between said interior cavity and the exterior wall of said stationary piston, the exterior wall of said stationary piston in sliding contact with the bore of said end cap of said annular piston, and the bottom end of said stationary piston in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said annular piston, said bottom end of said piston having a bore centrally disposed therein;   a pintle rod centrally disposed within said interior cavity of said stationary piston, said pintle rod extending downward through said bore disposed in said bottom end of said stationary piston into said interior cavity of said pedestal, said pintle rod having a tapering end in mating contact with said orifice of said nozzle and a cylindrical end in sliding contact with the interior cavity wall of said pedestal;   means for causing said annular piston to extend upward towards said top end of said injector body such that the end cap of said annular piston is flush with said nozzle;   means for injecting a fluid into the cavity defined by the boundaries of the exterior wall of said stationary piston, the interior cavity wall of said annular piston, the bottom end of said stationary piston and the end cap of said annular piston;   means for extending said tapering end of said pintle rod away from mating contact with said orifice;   means for determining the downward pressure exerted by said pintle rod;   means for causing said annular piston to extend downward toward said bottom end of said injector body thereby forcing said fluid to spray through said orifice of said nozzle;   a test chamber having a closed end, and open end, an inlet valve for injecting a high pressure, high temperature gas, an exhaust valve, a plurality of windows for viewing the interior of said chamber, and an ignition means;   means for determining the pressure and temperature within said test chamber;   said injector body fixedly attached at the open end of said test chamber whereby said spray of said fluid from said orifice is contained and observable within said test chamber.   
     
     
       9. The device of claim 8 wherein said windows are made from quartz/sapphire.